Alleged abuse poses more questions for Haringey

Police are investigating allegations of serious abuse of a five-year-old victim of child trafficking while he was in the care of Haringey, the London council that failed to prevent the death of Baby P.

The Metropolitan police child abuse team launched the investigation last month after claims that the child was being beaten while in the care of his adoptive family. Concerns were raised by Dr Hamish Cameron, a consultant child psychiatrist, after the boy was taken to hospital.

The government is to set up a new taskforce this week to improve the quality and status of social workers in the wake of the Baby P scandal in Haringey. Headed by Moira Gibb, the chief executive of Camden council and a former social worker, it will be a “nuts and bolts review” of social work practice.

Gibb is expected to report to ministers by next summer on training, recruitment and leadership. Senior social workers will be expected to spend time at management level in schools and headteachers will have to have experience in child social work.

New Labour’s drive to reduce poverty and social exclusion had stalled even before the recession began and looks set to go backwards in key areas because of sharply rising unemployment, an authoritative study has found.

‘Not enough support’ for people with mental health problems to return to work

The government needs to take urgent action to make sure support and training is available to get more people with mental illness into work, say campaigners in a new report today.

The Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health (SCMH) and the College of Occupational Therapists have published a joint paper arguing that the government risks “writing off” people with mental health problems during the recession if it doesn’t take action on employment support immediately.

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